Saturday, May 4, 2019

Does The Bible Teach That Christians Should Vote Responsibly Till Rapture Comes?

Question: Does the Bible teach that Christians should vote responsibly?

Answer: Greetings in Jesus wonderful name.

The Bible convey a idea of democratic republic which was planned by God instead of the tyranny of the monarchy that ruled the world with iron grip in the past millenniums of various empires and rules (Dan 2:31-35, 41-44). In both a republic and a democracy, citizens are empowered to participate in a representational political system. In a pure democracy, laws are made directly by the voting majority leaving the rights of the minority largely unprotected. In a republic, laws are made by representatives chosen by the people and must comply with a constitution which specifically protects the rights of the minority from the will of the majority. The United States, like most modern nations, is neither a pure republic nor a pure democracy. Instead, it is a hybrid democratic republic. The main difference between a democracy and a republic is the extent to which the people control the process of making laws under each form of government. A democratic republic is a form of government operating on principles adopted from a republic and a democracy. Rather than being a cross between two entirely separate systems, democratic republics may function on principles shared by both republics and democracies.

For example. India is a constitutional republic and representative democracy, in which "majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law". ... The Constitution of India, which came into effect on 26 January 1950, states in its preamble that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. So a lot of things can be applied and drafted in a constitution at the same time with out affecting the flavor of the other unique characteristics.

Democracy is a concept that has become very famous only in the last couple of centuries even though the original idea about it has been there for more than two and half millenniums. The term "democracy" first appeared in ancient Greek political and philosophical thought in the city-state of Athens during classical antiquity and the word comes from demos, "common people" and kratos, "strength". Led by Cleisthenes, Athenians established what is generally held as the first democracy in 508–507 BC.

But the sad thing about democracy is that the people's strength and strong leadership through gifted individuals and their progeny who naturally carry their legacy by divine call cannot go together and mix properly, as the individualism of sin nature will not allow the two to go together, and so the Bible itself predicts the failure of the democracies during the end time saying, "43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." (Dan 2:43-44).

As An Individual So Will Be Their Leader

For example, when a leader receives bribes or kickbacks or anything in exchange to show favor, it is the sin nature on the part of the leader that makes him fail in his duty to execute righteousness and justice. When in a democratic republic people receive money in exchange for their vote, it is bribery against righteousness and cheating the spirit of democracy for selfishness. The Bible declares, unjust gain makes the wise foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart, destroys the mind and ruin our character (Eccl 7:7). God has commanded thus to all humans, "And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts[(i.e.) undermine the power and authority of]the cause of those who are in the right." (Exo 23:8; Deut 16:19).

The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice and therefore as he is greedy for unjust gain, he will bring curse upon himself and his family, but the righteous who who hates bribes will live under the blessing of God (Prov 17:23; 15:27). Thus he who prospers at every turn by using the magic stone of bribe, will at the end bring a curse instead of blessing through prosperity (Prov 17:8). God is the one who watches over the evil menace of bribe and soon brings his wrath upon those who practice it, whether individual or a leader of the nation, will soon become ashamed of their own evil way and will lead them to their own personal and professional destruction (Amos 5:12; Isa 5:23; 1:23; 1 Sam 18:3). Only those who forget God and his justice will be involved in bribery and perversion of justice (Ezek 22:12; Mic 7:3; Acts 24:26).

"Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.” (Mic 3:11). God will first judge the teachers, priests and leaders whom he has set up in a nation to guide the people, and then the people who live in lawlessness (Jam 3:1; Rom 13:1-7; Acts 12:20-24). A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long (Eccl 10:16).

If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them (Eccl 5:8). In other words, we should not dare to think that no providence is attending the affairs of this world; do not be frightened and astonished, and hurried into such a thought; nor be distressed at the calamities and oppression's of poor and innocent men. The higher officials even to the highest are appointed by God for the welfare of the people, whenever justice and freedom is denied to the poor and down trodden people, it means corruption has taken over the society, it is ready for divine judgement which waits and executes his wrath on evil on a day to day basis for individuals and also in a massive way for nations (Psa 5:5; 11:5; 7:11-16; 145:20; Prov 15:8, 9, 26; 6:18; Luke 13:27-28). When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people's hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong (Eccl 8:11). Wicked are those who are hell bent to do evil. Is the God in heaven appear to be indifferent to pain on earth when he allows the wicked to continue his schemes to do wrong? No not at all.

What the wicked forget is, the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with the evil doers, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). We see the same example of God's patience even during the the worst of the worst wicked civilization that lived on the earth, God gave them time to repent and turn towards him, but when they rejected God's mercy and grace, judgment of God destroyed them all time after time (Gen 15:16). God is love as well as just. Therefore God brings justice to all humans alike eternally, therefore he waits earthly to see eternal change in the hearts of humans so that they could be pulled always from the path where they are on the way to land on the eternal fire of God's judgment for their sins from which there is no way out for every soul.

Voting is the only way in democracy where we choose a leader. If a individual does not exercise it righteously to choose a righteous leader through this power of influence, then just like the individual so will the leader of the great democracies will become. God will judge at the end for every wasted resource given in the availability of each humans who lived during these times of the end.

What Does The Bible Say About Democratic Republic?

So even though in the humanistic point of view, democratic republic is the best for all people to enjoy freedom and liberty that God wants them to have, the sin nature within the common man and also the leaders will not allow them to co-exist together which Satan will use to fulfill his own agenda for worldwide control and ruler-ship like never before (Ezek 28:19; Isa 14:16-17; Luke 4:6-7). In short, democracies are of the people, by the people and for the people as described by the Great late President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, in truth it will perish when the system will fully fail in Antichrist who will try to epitomize a world wide democratic republic to deceive people through smooth words to take the power from the people and lay claim to form a one world government, one world economy and a one world religion. He will become a global idol who will promise worldwide peace and security and even will achieve it through a great deception (1 Thess 5:3; Rev 13:4-8; 17:12-13; 2 Thess 2:8-12). But when his time will be over, he will show his true face to the world within the three and half years pre-appointed by God to rule the world in absolute tyranny for the whole period of time (Prov 26:23-26; Dan 11:31-33).

When humanistic 666 which is man's best fails along with the Satanic trinity that drives the sin nature of humans (Rev 13:8, 18), then God along with humans will start to rule the world forever and ever in this earth and also in the new earth which will be the time of 777 perfection for all humans (Rev 20:6; Dan 7:27). So democratic republic is a illusion and a mirage that is set before all humans by God in these end times to make them understand the impermanence of humanism and its deception so that they can be able to welcome the eternal kingdom of Christ which will be set up in this earth for a thousand years time after this.

So thus knowing that it is God's will for humans living in our times to support democratic republic, we then stand on the Biblical ground to support all citizens to exercise their voting rights to select the leaders who can rule over us in righteousness so that we can exercise our freedom and human rights to express and spread the Gospel before his coming in all the world after which the end will come as Jesus Himself prophesied (Matt 24:14).

So Choose Good Leaders Until The Rapture Comes!

So, does the Bible teach that Christians should vote responsibly? Absolutely Yes!... it is the duty and responsibility of every Christian to vote and to vote for leaders who promote Christian principles (Acts 4:18-19).

God is in control of the entire universe, but also He does raise people from the dust to make them recline among the kings with people or without people (1 Sam 2:8; Dan 4:34-37). But thank God, in our times of democracy God has raised leaders by taking the consent of people through their voting rights. But so sad to find that many people are foolish enough to sell their votes for meager mammon, through which many national leaders deceive people and then will use the power to gain power, material and influence over people. Then the same cycle will repeat to deceive the masses and keep them in their control when the election comes again.

Still the voting right a person exercises, will not only decide his immediate future through good leaders selected in the government, but also their progeny who will come after them. So it is the responsibility of all Christians to exercise the voting rights to select righteous and good leaders who will rule the nation in righteousness and peace. By doing so, they become responsible people of blessing to themselves and their families and also to the generation of theirs that comes further down in their line in the future time. Praise the Lord!

One thing is for sure, until the Holy Spirit who is the restrainer of lawlessness is present on earth along with the Church that He empower to be a salt and light to the world around (Matt 5:13-16), human democratic republic government will remain, God is looking to the Church to make a difference in the world until the rapture brings to an end the restraining of lawlessness (2 Thess 2:7-8; Rom 8:9; Matt 25:6-10). Until the rapture happens on earth, we should keep the restraining influence of the Church upon the world through our prayer and proclamation of the Word of God (Acts 6:4; Luke 12:37-39, 40). This can happen only when there are good leaders over our country and nations around the world chosen by responsible voters, or else the hastening of the Antichrist government will take place, and our human rights and freedom to live in liberty will soon cease and become a thing of the past.

10 Reasons Christians Should Vote in the Elections

1) Until we make prayers for kings and all those in authority, then choose the right person through our voting rights given to us as a citizen of our nation, we cannot expect to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence (1 Tim 2:1-2).

2) If we fail to vote prayerfully and there comes a godless leader because of failing to exercise our choice, and then if we find ourselves not able to submit to these authorities, then the fault is ours and therefore to obey God's command we should exercise our voting rights given to us (Rom 13:1-7). After we have voted faithfully, if a leader comes on the scene who wants to persecute the Church, then it is God's responsibility to take care of the Church, and He has always protected it in His way and in His time (Rev 2:1-8). Voting publicly recognizes that we submit to the authority of the political system in our nation as established by God. Scripture gives Christians instructions to obey legitimate authority unless it contradicts the Lord’s commands (Acts 5:27-29; Romans 13:1-7).

3) Through exercising our right to vote, we can obey God's command to seek the good of those around us and our nation as a whole (Jer 29:5-6). Voting recognizes the equality of all people and their right to speak and be heard (Deu 10:17-19).

4) We are exhorted by God to seek peace and pursue it, one way of pursuing peace in our nation and around the world is through exercising our God given rights to choose leaders who will pursue peace along with us based on Biblical principles that establishes peace in the world. Edmund Burke (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Irish political philosopher said, 'All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing' (Psa 34:14). Not voting is a form of voting, as it will influence the outcome. We need to take responsibility for our actions, as well as our lack of actions (Luke 10:25-37). Seek for the peace of the state which you reside, nation which you belong and the safety and prosperity of the city you live in, through voting and choosing effective godly leaders.

5) Voting is part of our stewardship to use all the resources we have been given in ways that honor God; to waste a vote or to sell it for money is to squander a gift for which we are accountable to God (Matt 25:21, 23, 26; Luke 16:8, 9, 10). Never sell your vote, but instead use its power wisely.

6) In terms of politics and leadership, there is evidence in Scripture that God has been displeased with our choices of leadership at times (Hosea 8:4). For example David was God's choice fore-planned by Him (1 Sam 16:1; 13:1, 13-14; Acts 13:21-22). But Saul was people's wrong choice chosen by people without prayer and repentance. When people choose prayerfully in repentance, God has promised restoration and blessings for every generation of humans who will seek for His will to be done on earth as it is heaven (2 Chron 7:14). Vote for God's choice based on their character, righteousness, godly leadership, fear of God and finally the skill to lead the nation.

7) The evidence of sin’s influence on the heart of humans can be seen in this world wherever godless leadership that brings chaos and destruction to human rights, liberty and values of godliness and righteousness is found to operate everywhere in the world in all nations. Much of the suffering on earth is because of godless leadership (Proverbs 28:12). When young men are at loose, and women take over the reigns of leadership over men, God does not like such lawlessness because God has put men in leadership and women to work along with them and not work independently (Isa 3:12; 2 Kings 16:2;11:1-16; Eccl. 10:16). Vote for mature and reputed men of service to help them serve people according to the will of God. 8) Voting has biblical precedence for example Acts 14:23 describes that the early Christians elected elders by voting. The same we can see in the choosing of the seven elders in the early Church, "seven men of good reputation" (Acts 6:3) who were chosen by the people to serve the people of God within the Church.

9) As believers, we ought to strive to choose leaders who will be themselves led by our Creator (1 Samuel 12:13-25; Isa 45:1-6). Candidates or proposals that violate the Bible’s commands for life, family, marriage, or faith should never be supported (Proverbs 14:34; 1 Tim 4:1-5; Isa 58:7). Christians should vote as led through prayer and study of both God’s Word and the realities of the choices on the ballot.

10) It is a privilege not to be taken for granted. Those of us who reap the benefits of living in a democracy should play a part in upholding democracy. Never forget the exhortation of the Scripture that says, what you sow you will reap and God cannot be mocked by irresponsible citizens who squander their God given rights to vote and then expect a peaceful nation, state or city to thrive in prosperity (Gal 6:7-8). You must make your own responsible choice. But do go and fulfill your responsibility!

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